40+ Reportable Aviation Events in 12 Days & NTSB Reports Fall Short - Episode 289

August in flight safety: at least 40 reportable events in just 12 days. The Flight Safety Detectives have reason to believe the number of events is even higher. Worse, the NTSB is putting out inadequate reports. They often provide the obvious cause and do not dig in to find the root cause. Significant questions are left with no answers. Greg Feith notes every accident has a safety lesson to learn. The NTSB preliminary report for a fatal crash of a Piper J5 Cub that happened on the first of the month, was a situation where the aircraft had been sitting idle for months and likely had an engine problem due to fuel contamination. The investigation documented the engine failure but apparently did not look into whether there had been a thorough preflight of the aircraft. Another just-released report covers an accident involving a new aircraft being ferried from Canada across the Atlantic to its new owner in Portugal. The pilot and most of the aircraft were not found, but key information, such as the logbooks for the pilot and the aircraft, was recovered. Despite the ample evidence from the crash and information from Canadian authorities and other parties to the investigation, the NTSB probable cause simply stated that the plane impacted the ocean. More than enough information is available to support a specific root cause. The NTSB did not attempt to address basic questions about the circumstances of the accident, such as what anti-icing or deicing capability the plane had, whether the pilot conducted a thorough preflight plan for the trip, or even if the pilot had the basic qualifications to conduct the flight. Don’t miss what’s to come from the Flight Safety Detectives - subscribe to the Flight Safety Detectives YouTube channel , listen at your favorite podcast service and visit the Flight Safety Detectives website . Want to go deeper with the Flight Safety Detectives? Join our YouTube Membership program for exclusive perks like members-only live streams and Q&As and early access to episodes. Your membership support directly helps John, Greg and Todd to deliver expert insights into aviation safety. Interested in partnering with us? Sponsorship opportunities are available—brand mentions, episode integrations, and dedicated segments are just a few of the options. Flight Safety Detectives offers a direct connection with an engaged audience passionate about aviation and safety. Reach out to fsdsponsors@gmail.com . Music: “Inspirational Sports” license ASLC-22B89B29-052322DDB8 Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.